Knob for electronic control shaft

ABSTRACT

This specification discloses a handle knob or button for a shaft such as the shaft of electronic components; for example, volume controls for use in radio and television sets, potentiometers and the like. The conventional handle or knob of this type is molded of a plastic material and has an inserted metallic spring to engage the flat side of a shaft or a slot in the shaft. The knob disclosed herein has an integral web molded into it. The web is curved from the sides of the opening toward the diammetrical center of the opening in the handle and, therefore, provides in effect a resilient member or spring.

llnited States Patent [111 Masses WilkOWSkl Jan. 8, 1974 KNOB FOR ELECTRONIC CONTROL Primary Exa miner-Charles J. Myhre SHAFT Assistant ExaminerFrank H. McKenzie, Jr. [76] Inventor: Henry J. Witkowski, 5625 E. Lake Mama-Charles Lovercheck Rd., Erie,.Pa. 16511 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed; Oct. 27, 1971 Appl. No.: 192,909

This specification discloses a handle knob or button for-a shaft such as the shaft of electronic components;

'for example, volume controls for use in radio and television sets, potentiometers and the like. The conventional handle or knob of this type is molded of a plastic material and has an inserted metallic spring to engage the flat side of a shaft or a slot in the shaft. The knob disclosed herein has an integral web molded into it. The web is curved from the sides of the opening toward the diammetrical center of the opening in the handle and, therefore, provides in effect a resilient member or spring.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l KNOB FOR ELECTRONIC (IONTROL SHAFT OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION tages of the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION-OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a side view of the electronic control and handle, partly in cross section.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the shaft and control.

FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the handle or button or knob taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now with more particular reference tothe drawings, the handle knob or button is indicated at 110. The handle knob or button has a boss 11 with a hand-engaging part 12 integrally attached to the boss. An opening 13 is formed in the rear end of the button and a web 14 extends across the opening and is integrally attached to the sides of the opening. A flange 15 provides a neat appearance for the button. The web 14 is an arcuate shape, of a radius approximately equal to the radius of the shaft and arches downward toward the diammetrical center of the opening in the button and is adapted to rest on top of the flat side of the shaft 17 of the elec tronic device indicated as a potentiometer 18. The space 20 defined by the web 14 may be filled with a resilient material such as a rubber material of a well known kind.

The web, or resilient retaining member, firmly engages the flat side 16 of the shaft 17. By molding the web 14 into the handle, a more stable, uniform and less expensive handle is provided. Metallic springs that would normally be used in place of the web 14 are likely to become loose and fall out and be lost. Such springs are expensive to insert in a manufacturing process. Applicant has eliminated these disadvantages of metallic springs by molding the web member integral with the handle. Previously it was not believed possible to mold such a part into a handle by an injection molding process. The handle may be molded from a suitable thermoplastic, such as nylon, polyethylene, vinyl or a material suitable for the purpose.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In combination, a shaft and a handle for moving said shaft,

said shaft being attached to an electronic device,

said shaft having a part thereof in the form of a longitudinal part of a cylinder having one side part thereof removed,

said handle having a circular opening therein receiving said shaft,

.a relatively thin web,

said web being integrally attached to the inner periphery of said handle at each end of said web whereby a resilient retaining member is provided deflected laterally by said shaft whereby relative rotation of said handle relative to said shaft is obstructed,

and a hand-engaging member on the side of said member remote from said opening,

the ends of said web being adjacent one side of said opening and displaced from the center line of said opening,

and said web arches toward said center line,

the space behind said web on the side thereof oppo- I I site said shaft is filled with a resilient solid material.

2. A knob comprising a hand-engaging member,

a boss attached to said hand-engaging member,

a generally cylindrical hole in said boss,

a relatively thin web attached at its ends to said boss and extending across said hole,

said web being integrally attached to said boss,

said knob is molded from a thermoplastic material,

the space behind said web is filled with a resilient solid material.

3. In combination, an electronic control and a bandle,

said electronic control having a round shaft having a flattened side, 7

said handle having a boss,

an opening in said boss receiving said shaft,

a web having its ends integrally attached to the sides of said opening and extending toward said flattened side and resiliently engaging said flattened side,

the space behind said web on the side thereof opposite said shaft is filled with a resilient solid material. 

1. In combination, a shaft and a handle for moving said shaft, SAID SHAFT BEING ATTACHED TO AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, SAID SHAFT HAVING A PART THEREOF IN THE FORM OF A LONGITUDINAL PART OF A CYLINDER HAVING ONE SIDE PART THEREOF REMOVED, SAID HANDLE HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENING THEREIN RECEIVING SAID SHAFT, A RELATIVELY THIN WEB, SAID WEB BEING INTEGRALLY ATTACHED TO THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID HANDLE AT EACH END OF SAID WEB WHEREBY A RESILIENT RETAINING MEMBER IS PROVIDED DEFLECTED LATERALLY BY SAID SHAFT WHEREBY RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID HANDLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT IS OBSTRUCTED, AND A HAND-ENGAGING MEMBER ON THE SIDE OF SAID MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID OPENING, THE ENDS OF SAID WEB BEING ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING AND DISPLACED FROM THE CENTER LINE OF SAID OPENING, AND SAID WEB ARCHES TOWARD SAID CENTER LINE, THE SPACE BEHIND SAID WEB ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID SHAFT IS FILLED WITH A RESILIENT SOLID MATERIAL.
 2. A knob comprising a hand-engaging member, a boss attached to said hand-engaging member, a generally cylindrical hole in said boss, a relatively thin web attached at its ends to said boss and extending across said hole, said web being integrally attached to said boss, said knob is molded from a thermoplastic material, the space behind said web is filled with a resilient solid material.
 3. In combination, an electronic control and a handle, said electronic control having a round shaft having a flattened side, said handle having a boss, an opening in said boss receiving said shaft, a web having its ends integrally attached to the sides of said opening and extending toward said flattened side and resiliently engaging said flattened side, the space behind said web on the side thereof opposite said shaft is filled with a resilient solid material. 